The Reason I Left
by Tsurohito-Lianrie
Summary: Karena is an aspiring college student with her future chosen for her. Zacharias is a young man with an unknown past and future. Fate chose for them to meet in an unconventional way, and the two fall hard and fast for each other. Unfortunately a disapproving father and an arranged marriage stands in their way of being together. What will the couple do to overcome their hurdles?
1. Her Return

**DISCLAIMER:** **I do not own Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, its universe, or its characters. Karena, her family, and any other characters not part of the universe belong to me!**

 **Also, this may be a prequel of sorts, but please read The Reason I Protect as it will make sense when you continue to read this prologue. In a sense, The Reason I Left (You) is a sort of flashback, so I recommend you go and read Protect first.**

 **And without further ado...The Reason I Left (You).**

* * *

"I am glad to see that you've returned safely my love." Zacharias uttered joyously as he pulled away from their embrace to take in her new appearance. "I almost thought I was dreaming…" – he trailed off while combing his fingers through her hair – "You've changed your hair."

Karena had returned home, her hair no longer in an updo and shorter, ending at her shoulders. She was also a little more mature and resolute, as well as more modern with her style of dress. It was still a dress, but it had a collar and was tied in the back with a small bow. It matched the light lavender flats she wore.

"Oh yes. Mom decided to try and take up hairstyling and I ended up becoming one of her Guinea pigs…" she replied with a soft smile before responding with her comment. "And speaking of hair…Look who decided to grow a goatee!"

Zacharias gazed at her a little confused and perhaps hurt. "Do you…not like it?"

"Oh no! I do like it! It really suits you." A light shade of red appeared on her pale cheeks. "It'll just take some getting used to, that's all…"

Her lover then smiled at her answer, beginning to blush as well before he became serious and his mind came to focus on more pressing matters.

"So…you've left me waiting until your return for your answer…" Zacharias spoke slowly, unsure if he wanted to know or not. But he decided to ask as he took her shoulders gently in his hands. "What did your parents have to say…after you explained everything to them?"

"Oh, yes of course! So mum…she was all for it, knowing that I was in safe hands and that I'm happier with you. Dad…was a little more reserved in his judgement. He understood his explanation and accepted the fact that you've gone above and beyond for me, but he wants to see for himself that you can support us."

"How will that happen, when we live so far apart? Surely he doesn't mean for us to take a trip to where they reside together. I cannot leave Labyrinthia as easily as I'd like. I have a duty to finish here for the people of this town."

"I know, and we won't have to leave. My parents have actually been discussing where to live once dad retires. They wanted to settle in a nice quiet place somewhere new, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. So I suggested they move here…" She turned to face him, and upon seeing his unnerving expression, continued quickly. "I mean, they really want to see you again, as well as Uncle Arthur. Dad wants to have a proper one on one conversation about our future, plus I've been away from my parents for so long. I can't deny them the rest of my life, when we've just made everything right. And I would like them present on our wedding day…"

"If that is your wish Karena, then we will welcome them to Labyrinthia with open arms." Zacharias said after a long pause, feeling the anxiety and dread wash over him, as he recalled all that had befallen in the past concerning Karena's parents.

Before he knew it, his mind was travelling back to those trying times…

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 **Forgive me for the chapter being so short, but I wanted to set things up this way. Submission will be spotty, as I'm working on this as well as a couple of others. Also, it will be shorter than the main story, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.**


	2. Their First Meeting

He was but a boy around the age of eight when he met Karena. A small bout with a rather menacing alley dog left him incapacitated. She rescued him by driving the mutt away, and managed to take him back to her home. He lost consciousness along the way and was in utter darkness until he heard a voice…

"Do you think he'll be alright Mr. Geoffrey?" he heard a young female child's voice ask.

"Well, I've bandaged his wounds to my best ability, but we will have to see what the doctor has to say when he arrives to give the boy a check-up." An elder man's voice replied.

Once the man had finished his statement and he registered that the doctor was on his way, the boy's eyes flashed open before he sat up quickly, wanting to make an escape. A quick shot of pain coming from his side stopped him though, as well as what the girl had to say to him.

"Please don't move or you'll hurt yourself more!" she pleaded with him, a tone of deep concern in her voice. "You'll open your wounds if you try to leave now, so please cooperate with us and stay…"

Up until then he couldn't make out what she looked like, but as he gazed upon her now, he could see every detail in the light.

She had short wavy light pink hair and wide blue colored eyes, full of concern for him. She wore a pale blue blouse with puffed short sleeves under a light greyish brown tank dress that ended at her knees. On her feet she wore sheer white stockings with Mary Janes that matched her dress color, and around her neck was a simple rose gold locket on a black cord.

His gaze then shifted to the man, who was tall and thin, with short dark brown hair and icy teal colored eyes that hid behind simple rectangle shaped spectacles. He wore a simple dark blue tail suit and tie, with a white collared button up shirt underneath.

The girl stared him down until he returned her gaze and relaxed before she said, "I know that you might be a little edgy being in an unfamiliar place around unfamiliar people, but you are in no condition to get up and leave right now…understand?"

He nodded, and then took a moment to look around the "unfamiliar place" he was in.

He was sitting in one of two rather plush dark purple couches in a lounge like room, which was elaborately decorated with purple and soft gold embellishments. Against one wall were some shelves filled to the brim with books, and on another wall conveniently hanging adjacent from him was a mirror, allowing him to see exactly what he looked like for the first time in a long while.

The boy stared at his reflection with shock, for he looked to be slightly unhealthy and skinny with tanned skin, disheveled spikey red hair, and dulled, tired, but still fierce warm grey colored eyes.

He let his gaze linger on his reflection for a few more minutes before turning once more to the two other people in the room and asking, "Where…am I?"

"You sir, are at the Edwards Estate." The man spoke up while straightening his glasses with pride.

"You…You're a butler…Mr. Geoffrey?" the boy asked him, and he nodded. The boy then turned to the girl. "And you are…?"

"I'm Karena Edwards, daughter of this household. Pleased to meet you." She replied politely with a curtsey. "What is your name, might I ask?"

"Er…It's Zacharias."

At that moment the doorbell rang, and Geoffrey left to go answer it.

While he was doing that, Karena continued the conversation. "Can I call you Zachary then?"

"Um…sure I don't mind." He blushed ever so slightly, before a question came to mind that he had to ask. "Uh…Do I…Does the doctor have to-?"

Suddenly he was interrupted by the door to the room opening, and as Karena turned her gaze to it and smiled fondly.

"Uncle Arthur!" she exclaimed, standing up and greeting the unseen guests. There was a small pause and then she continued. "Hey, where's Espella? You said you'd bring her next time!"

"I'm sorry, but in my defense I did say I would bring her next time I come for a long stay." Zacharias heard an elder man who was not Geoffrey explain. "This is a short trip and we decided to drop by since we were in town. Next time she'll be with me for sure."

"You said that last time!" Karena pouted, but seemed to give up for the time being.

There was another pause and then a different man's voice could be heard saying, "Excuse me, but I heard there was someone here who needed some medical attention. Might I be able to see him?"

"Oh, so you'll be seeing the boy in Dr. Barnham's stead?" Geoffrey asked.

"Yes." The second man replied, before the two visitors finally came into Zacharias' view.

The first man who came into view was tall and thin with pale purple hair and blue green colored eyes filled with concern and kindness. His hair was styled in such a way that what wasn't held in his low ponytail was ruffled up a little. He was wearing a loose long sleeved white ruffled shirt which was cinched at the wrists with bronze circle bracelets, and tied at the neck with an ascot tie. Over that he wore a dark purple brown vest with bronze accents and matching pants that were loose at the knee. The rest was stuffed into his black knee high boots, and he had black gloves on. He carried a small brown medical bag, meaning that he was the doctor who came to check up on Zacharias.

The second man who followed behind the first was slightly shorter with wavy dark hair in a middle part and matching colored eyes that seemed a little cold and distant. He wore the same type of shirt as his friend, but only wore one bracelet on his left wrist. He also wore a red tie instead of an ascot, with a sun shaped medallion that had a moon within it pinned on. Over that he also wore a vest, but his was dark grey and pinstriped, and he had a pen in his breast pocket as well as a pocket watch. He also had matching pants that ended in the middle of his calves, and were turned up once. With that he wore white striped tights and simple black loafers.

Karena also came back into view and leaped right into introductions.

"This is Zachary, the one who needs the checkup doctor." She announced, gesturing to the boy before turning to face him. "Zachary, these two men are friends of the family, so you can trust him. The tall one is Mr. Newton Belduke. He's the doctor. And the other man is Mr. Arthur Cantabella."

"Nice to meet you." Zachary greeted politely with a little hesitance.

"Likewise." Arthur replied, while his friend kneeled down close to the boy and added, "Now let's take a look, shall we?" He then proceeded to remove the bandages and examine the wound.

As he did the deed silently, Arthur turned to Karena and Geoffrey and asked, "Are Mr. and Mrs. Edwards out somewhere then?"

"Yes. They should be back momentarily." The butler replied politely. "As for how we'll explain this situation to them…"

"I'll handle it." Karena spoke up confidently.

"Honestly Miss Karena, I don't know if your father will believe you, let alone allow this boy to stay."

"But he needs our help!" Karena huffed.

"The question is not whether he _needs_ the help." Arthur suggested. "But if he _wants_ the help."

All eyes turned to the boy who said, "What do you mean?"

"I was going to ask my parents to allow you to live here."

"Oh no! I-I couldn't…" Zacharias exclaimed, being surprisingly polite about it. "I know my place, and it's not here…"

"But you've been living on the streets, haven't you!?" He flinched and looked away, unable to answer. "Living that way isn't good for anyone, so please…"

He remained silent, until they heard the front door open and two more people in the hallway. Geoffrey withdrew from the room and greeted them there, making known that the heads of the household had returned.

"…And if you'll wait in the sitting room, I'll have some tea prepared for you and your guests Mr. Edwards." They heard him announce as his voice became louder as they approached the door.

It opened, and in walked a couple who looked related to Karena. They were her parents, in fact.

The woman – who entered first – was tall hand had the build of a model, more or less. She had the same blue colored eyes as Karena, but had light brown hair that was cut in a bob, with her bangs separated on the left side of her face. She wore a simple lavender dress and sweater, with a pearl necklace around her neck, a bracelet of the same type around her right wrist, and simple white open toed one inch heels.

The man who followed was only slightly taller than the woman, with pale green colored eyes and short pink hair that was slightly darker than Karena's, and parted on the right side of his face and casually brushed behind his ears. He wore a light grey two piece suit with a white button-up shirt and a tie that matched the color of the woman's dress. He also wore an expensive watch on his left wrist and brown dress shoes.

As soon as they entered the room, they greeted their daughter, as she was the first to welcome them in. They then noticed the two men and greeted them as well, exchanging a few pleasantries before their attention turned to the bandaged boy on the couch.

"And who is this…?" the man asked, a little suspicious of the bedraggled state the boy was in.

"This is Zachary. I helped him out when he was attacked by a stray dog." Karena answered.

Her father, whose name was Edmund as far as they boy heard, turned to him and Zacharias added, "It's true, sir."

The man then seemed to calm down a little, but he refused to let his guard down.

"It looks like he won't be able to move too much for the moment. Will we be able to get him back home tonight? Will we have to contact his parents if we can't?" the mother named Sherilyn asked with concern.

"I was about to ask about that…" Karena started to explain slowly, choosing her words carefully. "You see, Zachary…" She turned her gaze to the boy, uncertain of how to continue.

Fortunately, Zacharias took it from there and continued with, "I…don't have a family, or a place to call home. Just my name…"

"So with that in mind…I was wondering if he could stay, and we make this his home…"

For a moment there was nothing but silence, as the head of the household took what was explained into consideration. Then he spoke.

"Unfortunately I cannot allow him to stay here," Karena became upset with what he said, and was about to speak up, but he stopped her before continuing. "I will, however, allow him to stay until he is able to walk again. Apart from that, he must find some other place to stay. Is that okay with you young man?"

"Yes sir. Thank you for your hospitality." Zacharias said politely.

"In the meantime, if you'd like I'll start looking into some places where you can stay close to Karena." Newton offered in a kind voice.

Zacharias agreed, and for the next few days he not only became closer to Karena, but he also explored other living options for him. They settled on the local doctor, James Matthew Barnham, who was all too happy to welcome the boy into his home.

It was then that the boy became Zacharias Barnham, and began to receive proper education at the same school as Karena's, as well as getting the opportunity to help out the doctor with his trade.

Time passed and Dr. Barnham decided to move on to another town, as he was needed there. Zacharias decided to go with him, and so had to say his farewells to Karena, but not before promising that they would someday meet again…

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 **Just to let you know, there will be a lot of time skips in the near future for this fic. This story is really a glossing over the important bits that led Karena and Zacharias to Labyrinthia, so it might be a short one. Regardless, I hope you continue to enjoy what I put out!**


	3. New Friends and Old Companions

"Alright then, I'm off!" Karena called out before turning to open the door of the Edwards' new house in London.

"Be careful on your way there sweetheart!" her mother called back in reply.

"Always mum!" she went through the door, and then turned back around. "Love you!" She then stood and waited for her mother's response, and when she heard it she closed the door and walked down the street to catch her bus to university.

A little over ten years had passed since Karena said her farewells to Zacharias, and she had grown into a rather beautiful young woman. She was now five feet and four inches tall, and she grew out her hair so it was long and straight, ending in the middle of her back. She usually had it tied up in a slightly messy bun – like today – with her straight bangs hanging over her brow.

Karena and her family now lived in London in a town house they owned, as it was easiest for her father to live in London rather than travel back and forth to work, and Karena was attending university now. As for which university, it was none other than the best in London; Gressenheller U., where a certain archaeology professor was slowly gaining popularity.

Karena had hoped that she would see Zacharias there, as she assumed that he would be following Dr. Barnham's footsteps in studying to become a doctor because he did seem a bit interested in the trade as a young boy. But unfortunately there was no sight of him there. Karena still had hope that she would see her good friend again, and believed that he was still somewhere in London.

"Good morning, Karena." She heard a familiar male's voice call out while she approached the bus stop.

"Wow. It's interesting seeing you here early for a change, Vincent." She smiled at her friend, who frowned at her statement.

Adam Vincent Durand, better known to his peers as Vincent, is Karena's friend she met at the university, and it just so happens that their parents are very well acquainted too. He stands at five feet, seven inches tall with short slightly fluffy light pale green hair that was parted on the left and spring green colored eyes. He was usually well dressed, wearing a simple cream colored button up shirt and dark brown dress pants with black loafers.

"Why aren't you taking the late bus today?" Karena continued with an amused smile playing on her lips.

"If you must know, I'm going early to get to the library before lessons start."

"Looking to cram for an upcoming test...possibly today?"

Vincent whipped his head towards her, expressing shock and embarrassment. "How-!?"

"Oh come on, Vincent! We've only known each other a year now but you're an open book!" He opened his mouth to object, but couldn't find the words. "Do you need any help with the studying?"

Just then the bus came around and stopped where they were. At the same moment he blushed and replied swiftly with, "I'm a grown man! I don't need any help with my studies…" He trailed off as he continued in thought, _'Besides, you'd only hinder them as I'd rather look at you than stick my nose in any book…'_

"Well, either way _I'm_ going to the library too for a bit of research." Karena announced as she boarded the bus, pulling him from his thoughts.

He followed her on board, and continued by changing the subject with a question. "I happened upon a nice little café just a couple blocks away from Gressenheller. Would you like to accompany me there once classes are over?"

"It's not the usual place?" She shot him a confused look from her seat by the window.

"It's actually quite a bit nicer…" He sat next to her and then responded to her gaze by sending her a quizzical one. "Do you…want to go to our usual place?"

"Oh no. Let's go to the new café. I'm all for trying new things!"

"Great!"

The two friends smiled at each other, and then rode the rest of the way to the university in silence…

"It really is rather nice in here!" Karena exclaimed as she took in the décor of the place.

It was still rather fancy, so she let down her hair to not seem so unkempt. It was kind of small but homey, with just a few little round tables here and there, wherever there weren't booths (and there were only really three of them). A counter was to the immediate right of the entrance along with a deserts display, which had various cakes and pies within. The walls were a nice pastel blue green, and there was a wood floor. Various decorative trees adorned the corners of the room. On the back wall was a set of double doors leading to the kitchen, and a hall leading to the bathrooms.

"I'm glad you like it." Vincent said in response after they had ordered a pot of tea and some shortbread biscuits. He then took a look around once the two of them had taken the last couple of seats at a round table. "It usually isn't this crowded though…"

"Maybe word got around."

They made some small talk as they waited, and when the time came for their tea to arrive, all they heard was an immense crash and clatter of pottery. All eyes turned to the source of the noise to see a rather well built tan young man with fiery red hair standing before the mess he had most likely made. He wasn't fussing at all over it though, as he had a very shocked gaze trained right on Karena.

Their eyes met and Karena stood instinctively, uttering his name. "Zachary…?"

"Karena…Is that really you?" he asked in reply.

He had certainly grown taller (about five, ten), and had a bit of toned muscle, at least what she could see peeking out from his white button-up shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He also wore some black dress slacks and shoes, and an apron that matched colors with the walls.

Zacharias was then reminded of his mess by a waitress nearby and became embarrassed. Turning his gaze from that to his friend, he gave her a sheepish smile and said, "Sorry about that. I'll clean this up and get you some more, yeah?"

"Yes, thank you." She returned the smile and then watched as he withdrew into the kitchen, possibly to get another pot of tea ready and gather some cleaning supplies.

"Okay spill. Who is that guy?" Vincent asked in a slightly annoyed tone, bringing her attention back to him.

"Oh, him? He's Zachary, er…Zacharias Barnham." Karena answered truthfully. "You could say that we're childhood friends."

"Barnham?...As in the doctor?"

"Yes, that's Zachary's adopted father."

Vincent's gaze turned into brief surprise while he commented with wonder, "Odd…I don't recall him ever really mentioning a son, let alone seeing any evidence of one at his clinic…"

"Maybe they've drifted apart, or Zachary's moved out." Karena also pondered on this, but soon became conflicted. "I really want to ask, but I know it's not my place…"

As he watched his friend continue to debate with herself, Vincent couldn't help but feel something unusual from within. Sure the two of them were close now, but she failed to even mention Zachary. The way their gazes met when they recognized each other almost instantly started chewing at him from the inside.

The young man returned soon enough with a fresh pot and some more biscuits. He set them down on the table between them, voicing his apology for his mishap earlier. "Once again, I'm terribly sorry for what just happened." He said while rubbing the back of his neck. "So along with the shortbreads, I added some raspberry thumbprint biscuits, fresh out of the oven and on the house. I know you like them Karena, so enjoy."

Zacharias then walked away from their table with a smile and proceeded to clean his mess and the floor while he was at it. As he did so, he couldn't help but steal glances at his old friend and her companion. The curiosity got the better of him and he was still nearby, so he decided to ask to satiate it.

"So…are you two here on a date…?" he inquired.

Upon hearing this unexpected question, Vincent blushed a bright red and swallowed his bite of biscuit down hard. He would've choked on it if he hadn't taken a quick sip of tea afterwards.

Karena was unaffected, showing only mild surprise before giving her ever so casual reply. "Oh no. We're not dating. We're friends."

Zacharias relaxed a little at her answer, seeming relieved while Vincent felt a short pang of sadness. "Ah. Well any friend of Karena's is a friend of mine." The young waiter commented with a smile as he offered his hand in greeting. "I'm Zacharias. Pleased to meet you."

"Vincent." The other male said simply, shaking Zacharias' hand politely.

"So what are you up to these days? I mean, besides waiting tables at this café…" Karena mentioned with curiosity, eager to catch up for lost time.

"Oh, just making ends meet at the moment, earning money for a decent university." Zacharias answered with careful thought as he continued to clean up.

"I thought Dr. Barnham would take care of that…"

He sighed, as if it was a hard subject and he didn't want to answer but he did anyway. "I kind of felt bad, taking any more from such a good man when I was old enough to pretty much support myself, so I moved out. I still drop in from time to time to say hello, but other than that…" – he trailed off, but then came back from his slight momentary depression, wanting to know about her – "So how are you doing? Are you in university?"

The conversation continued like this, but Zacharias would have to step away to take orders, serve, and clean up. They made it work, though by the time the two friends were each done with a couple cups of tea, they still weren't all caught up. So Zacharias suggested they exchange contacts and so they did, promising to keep in touch.

Little did they know that with Zacharias' reintroduction into Karena's life, it was bound to become quite crazy and dramatic in the months to come…


End file.
